Southwell blanks

[Black Prince]

Can anyone tell me when we're bob Southwell blanks stoped being used and we're the other blanks that b James used not considered as good as a Southwell blank considering the price asked today for a "Southwell blank thanks gents mike

[Paul F]

I think it was when the anglers realized they were grossly overrated

[Beresford]

B. James quality varies significantly. However, that is probably true of many makes for example, not all Hardy cane rods are of the quality you would expect from them. When buying vintage cane to use you have to take each rod on its own merits, or lack off.

I also think Southwell must have been very, very busy given how many blanks are attributed to him.

[Nobby]

Jim Bruce Senior, the owner of B.James* in Northfields Avenue, Ealing, did ask Bob Southwell to make cane blanks up for him exclusively, Ted Oliver tells me, but just when that was I am not certain. What we do know is that Bob refused, ... not wanting to put all his eggs in one basket, as Ted puts it. I would guess it was in the early days of the MkIV's sales success .....somewhere around 1955 perhaps?

Now if B.James were buying in blanks to finish off from Bob, who's to say they weren't buying in from elsewhere too? That might go some way to explaining the variation in cane quality we hear of. Obviously they couldn't keep up with demand for the MkIV, hence the proposition to Bob in Croydon.

We do know that when Bob refused, B.James set themselves up to make their cane themselves, though they appear to have been making some cane already, so this might be yet another indicator of variety....perhaps they did build some early MKIV's themselves.

Just how many MkIV rods were made up from Southwell cane is hard to guess, but we do know he only had two employees who one of whom also made van deliveries...just how much cane could they build in that little basement workshop? We know they were supplying half a dozen other London rod builders...or at least they were until the van driver left to start up on his own in a nearby workshop. Ultimately his business failed and he advertised his cane for sale....Ted Oliver read the advert and ended up as a sort of apprentice, before striking out on his own. The van drivercum cane builder, Mr,Howson, emigrated to Australia.

Certainly Richard Walker wrote that the early prototype Mk.IV rods he tried were on blanks built by Bob Southwell. He was critical of the ferrule size chosen by Jim.....and downright rude about Jim's handwriting, which is why he ended up hand-signing the 'first couple of batches'.


I hope this helps, but I realise it doesn't give you any help whatsoever with dates.....









* There is no Mr. B.James even though Dick Walker wrote letters to him...it was Jim Bruce Snr. changing his name for business purposes.

[Reedling]

B. James quality varies significantly. However, that is probably true of many makes for example, not all Hardy cane rods are of the quality you would expect from them. When buying vintage cane to use you have to take each rod on its own merits, or lack off.

I also think Southwell must have been very, very busy given how many blanks are attributed to him.

Just going against the grain a little... I have never had a bad Chapman 5** type rod, though as you imply the name does not make the rod and you cannot beat a rod in your hand before commiting.

[JPC]

Many years ago I fished for several years with Maurice "Mole" Elief who was a good friend of Bob. Maurice was a trained and skilled carpenter and occasionally helped Bob, he lived within walking distance of Bob's shop, The Captain. Maurice also had a complete armoury of Bob's rods, Mk1V's, Avons, S/U's, Perfections etc. Maurice told me that once the cane had been baked Bob could split, plane and then glue the blanks in record time, no measurements were needed he could do everything by memory and feel. Maurice also told me that as Nobby said he also supplied several other rod builders with blanks.
When he returned from Canada to live near Folkstone I met up with him several times, lovely old guy.

[CrayCane]

I remember reading on the Rodmaker's listserve, of a video made of Bob Southwell (in Canada I think), planing blanks. Those who had seen the video were greatly impressed by the way Bob measured the strips by feel and the speed with which he worked. I'd dearly like to see that video. I've searched the listserve a couple of times but have yet to find where I saw the original post.
Pete

[Mushy]

Ok I am taking more than a passing interest as I may have Southwell Mk IV, Nobby could you from examination confirm a Southwell, other than by the dark colour, are pressed nodes obvious to spot ?

[Santiago]

Your not the only one Mushy. I also think that I have a Southwell Mkiv. I believe it to be a JB Walker kit rod, and it's signed MARK IV, 'RAY' 1956, and the cane is lovely and dark and quite stiff. The test curve is easily over 11/2lb and the taper has the Walker 'hinge'. I much prefer it to my B.James Mkiv.

[Nobby]

Ok I am taking more than a passing interest as I may have Southwell Mk IV, Nobby could you from examination confirm a Southwell, other than by the dark colour, are pressed nodes obvious to spot ?

Sadly I can't seem to, Mushy..though Lord knows I've tried! Ted Oliver told me I ought to be able to spot the pressed nodes that he and Bob created In a bench vice, but the difference is simply not apparent to me. Chris Ball ( I think it was Chris) once put up an image of a Dick Walker built rod section and there, for once, I thought I could make out the largely unbroken veins of fibre retained by this method.

Now just how many other rod makers were setting these nodes aright by hand before planing the cane I just don't know. A good few had gone over to 'built' cane by then for the speed of production, simply milling the strips straight regardless of the grain. I once read that Allcocks spoke of being able to make 1500 rods a week this way, but Tony Croft, who worked for them as a lad before going to Aspindale certainly learned to split cane the old way, so maybe Allcock did both, depending upon the 'grade' of the model being made?


One person who did mill cane was JB Walker, who had two mills and had worked them to death by the time he shut up shop.

Here's the image of Dick's pressed node, right under the butt ring( clever) lovely parallel and unbroken fibres: